Three heroes are on a quest to thwart a group of Orc Cultists, known as the Shadow Cabal, from raising the God of Death from his dark realm to their world. The human cleric, Keltus (Richard McWilliams), elf bounty hunter Nemyt (Danielle Chuchran) and infamous Orc warlord, Kullimon (Paul D. Hunt) must overcome their differences and work together if they are going to stop the Shadow’s curse from spreading across the land and dooming them all.

When I watched The Rise of the Shadow Warrior, it conjured up images of the old Dungeons and Dragons films that were made. I mean, just reading the synopsis in the first paragraph you have probably already identified a lot of fantasy clichés which are found in films of this style. In a way, that is what attracted me to this film in the first place. I love a cheesy fantasy film which I can sit back and laugh at, and this film definitely delivered. But after watching the film, I wouldn’t be so fast to write it off.

Yes, it is very similar to those old Dungeons and Dragons films, only it does it better. Now, I am not saying The Rise of the Shadow Warrior is Game of Thrones or Lord of the Rings style quality. It is definitely a B-movie style flick, so one should be expecting a smaller budget and rather interesting visual effects, but if you are prepared for that it is quite an enjoyable film. I was especially impressed by the costumes, which a lot of time was clearly spent on, bringing the characters to life as they fight and argue and dramatically montage their way across the country.

Alright, maybe I have a weakness for fantasy B-movies. I really enjoyed the film, it was fun, it didn’t take itself too seriously and it is a good adventure for those who love a good fantasy flick. That being said, it is occasionally let down by instances such as a door which is strangely wobbly, or a window which looks far too modern to be on a house of that era. A few of the fight scenes are a bit too wooden to be realistic, coming off a bit cringe worthy, but you have to give credit to the film makers for trying to look as bad ass as possible, even if they didn’t quite achieve it. Overall, the film isn’t blockbuster quality, but it delivers enough to entertain and excite.

The Rise of the Shadow Warrior is out now on DVD courtesy of Signature Entertainment.